The invention relates generally to electrical cabinets adapted to store, or house, electrical components, and, more particularly to printed-circuit boards used in data storage and transfer systems.
As is known in the art, electrical cabinets are used to store, or house, a variety electrical components such as printed circuit boards. The electrical cabinets allow the components within the cabinet to be interconnected and also allow the internal components to be connected to components external to the cabinets. The cabinets typically have an access door and a number of compartments, such as a card cage, i.e., a housing to store the various interconnected printed circuit boards. In addition, the individual components within the cabinet may be replaced or removed to a different location for repair.
Typically, some of the components are printed circuit boards arranged in a card cage, or housing, in an array of vertical or horizontal guide slots (i.e., a linear array of guide slots) provided between opposing sides of the cabinet. Each board is insertable into a corresponding pair of the opposing guide slots and is urged towards the rear of the cabinet to enable an electrical connector mounted to the rear edge of the board to engage, and thereby electrically connect to, a backplane. A backplane typically is a printed circuit board which contains a plurality of electrical connectors. The backplane commonly is referred to as a mother board. The other printed circuit boards discussed above, which connect to the mother board, commonly are referred to as daughter boards.
As currently configured, when a technician inserts a daughter printed circuit board into one of the guide slots, he/she may inadvertently bend or buckle the backplane printed circuit board. In order to accommodate the quantity and speed of systems currently in use, printed circuit boards require a large number of densely packed connectors. Each of these connectors provides resistance when the printed circuit board is inserted into the housing and connected with the backplane. Thus, the greater the number of connectors, the larger the force required to insert and connect the printed circuit board. For example, an existing printed circuit board may require 200 pounds or more of force to insert and connect the printed circuit board to the backplane.
As the daughter boards are inserted and connected to the backplane (typically at a right angle to the backplane), the backplane may not have sufficient rigidity to withstand the force of the daughter board. Therefore, the backplane printed circuit board may bend, buckle, break, not make a proper electrical connection and/or become misaligned.
Additional support may be applied to secure the backplane when the daughter boards are inserted and connected to the backplane. Hardware may be installed to reinforce the backplane, but the hardware typically attaches to the cabinet and across the backplane (as opposed to attaching to the backplane). Such hardware typically requires several pieces which increases part counts for electrical cabinets as well as the time required for installation. In addition, the time required to remove such hardware and remove the backplane for repairs or replacement can be significant.
In addition, when hardware is installed to secure the backplane after insertion, the backplane may be secured in a position that is misaligned relative to the position of the connectors of the daughter boards. Therefore, additional time may be required at installation to correct the misalignment.